Weaponry that fires cartridge contained ammunition is commonplace and varies in size applications from pistols to artillery cannons. Despite the size, the function of cartridge ammunition is essentially the same. Cartridge ammunition includes a cartridge case filled with an explosive propellant and the projectile that is to be fired. The cartridge is loaded into the firing chamber of a gun or cannon, the propellant is ignited and the projectile fired through a barrel. The empty cartridge case is then ejected.
In modern weaponry, certain guns and cannons fire highly complex cartridges that include sophisticated explosive propellants and projectiles. In certain applications, the cartridge case used in the fabrication of the cartridge is not metal; rather, the cartridge case is formed from a light weight, nitro-cellulose material. The use of a light weight material instead of metal for the cartridge case reduces the overall weight and cost of the cartridge and reduces the effort needed to handle spent cartridge cases. An unfortunate disadvantage of non-metal cartridge cases is that they are more likely to rupture prior to use. Obviously, since cartridge cases encapsulate the explosive propellant, a rupture in this encasement, and the resulting escape of explosive propellant, is highly dangerous.
To prevent the danger of explosive propellant escaping from ruptured cartridges, some cartridges include a propellant containment bag within the cartridge case. The propellant containment bag surrounds the explosive propellant holding it in place, despite the presence of a rupture in the cartridge case. In some large caliber applications such as 120 mm cartridges, the tail end of the projectile extends into the explosive propellant within the cartridge. Since the explosive propellant is surrounded by the propellant containment bag, the containment bag also surrounds the portion of the tail end of the projectile that extends into the propellant. Certain projectiles have stabilizer fins formed as part of their tail ends. The stabilizer fins help in the aerodynamics of the projectile when in flight. Often it is the stabilizer fin portion of the projectile that extends into the propellant containment bag and is surrounde by propellant.
In manufacturing large caliber cartridges that include finned projectiles and a propellant containment bag, the projectile and containment bag are positioned within the cartridge case prior to the addition of explosive propellant. Since the propellant containment bag is made from a fabric, it often folds and buckles under its own weight within the cartridge case. Commonly, the propellant containment bag folds near the stabilizer fins of the projectile covering various portions of the stabilizer fins. When explosive propellant is introduced into the propellant containment bag, the folds in the fabric of the containment bag prevent the even distribution of explosive around the stabilizer fins of the projectile. The containment bag therefore prevents a full load of explosive propellant from being added to the containment bag or produces an uneven propellant distribution which may affect the flight of the projectile.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a tool that can enter the propellant containment bag, prior to the insertion of explosive propellant, to remove any folds or buckles that may have occurred in the propellant containment bag that could adversely affect the distribution of explosive propellant when added.
It is therefore another primary objective of the present invention to set forth a method for removing folds or buckles in propellant containment bags, prior to the addition of explosive propellant.